I may as well make it very clear early on in this venture that my favorite room in a house is a library. Notice that I say "a house," and not, "my house," because I don't have a library. Not yet, anyway. But in the meantime I can dream about a classic English library.
The image, above, is a good example. Note the floor to ceiling built-in shelves with discreet lighting fixed to light the books. The shelves are deliberately, but not too perfectly arranged, with some titles lying on their sides (these were probably too tall otherwise). A few well-chosen objets are mixed in to break up the monotony of rows of books. A leather chair is practically a requirement for a classic library, preferably worn and slightly beaten. Finally, strong colors should predominate in my fantasy library. This doesn't mean dark, gloomy, tobacco stained walls and the crepuscular glow of oil lamps. As shown above, a library can still benefit from a fair amount of natural light.
The deep mustard color of these shelves makes my mouth water! Note that these shelves don't reach the ceiling. Instead, molding details and a very pretty scalloped crown continue above. The resulting bookshelf top has allowed the owners to display a jumbled collection - and not surprisingly, more books - including a pretty portrait with blue and red that contrasts beautifully with the yellow woodwork. I also like the way these shelves start about a foot from the ground. These shelves are easy to reach, and therefore must be very easy to use. Note also the arches, which break up the horizontal lines, and the chicken-wire screens used on pairs of arched doors. I could easily meditate in this room for hours, without even picking up a book.
Other essential ingredients for my library: A variety of quirky Edwardian upholstered furniture (see my post on loveseats for some examples), plenty of good reading lights at each chair and sofa, small tables dotted around for drinks and my laptop, a well worn oriental rug, a few simple flowers (not too fancy, or if they are then just one or two sitting in a small vase or cup), a couple of antique occasional chairs, at least a little bit of velvet or embroidery in the textiles. And lots of art work, in different styles, sizes and heights on every wall, with appropriate picture lighting, and perhaps even hanging from some of the shelves themselves.
It should all be organized, but still haphazard. Does that even make sense?
What I don't like: Heavy drawing room curtains. These would just feel too oppressive. Not to mention they would be gigantic and expensive dust, pollen and odor collectors. Simple straight panels to keep the room balanced and keep out the drafts, combined with shades if necessary, are fine, thank you.
In At Home with Books: How Book Lovers Live with and Care for Their Libraries, authors Estelle Ellis and Caroline Seebohm and photographer Christopher Simon Sykes capture many examples of real-life libraries that inspire my fantasy. As to why I and others find these rooms so captivating, the authors write in their introduction:
Book-centered rooms are described as nurturing, a comfort zone, an
escape hatch, a place to retreat to for tea and talk, thinking and
reading, recapturing memories, regenerating spirit and ideas.
Some other inspirational titles: The English Room, by Chippy Irvine and photos also by Mr. Sykes; Perfect English, by Ros Byam Shaw; and Domestic Art: Curated Interiors by Holly Moore, Rob Brinkley, and Laurann Claridge. There are lots of other great examples; these are just a few of my favorites.
I'll leave you with a few more images. These are updated, lighter versions that would work well in the average home. The first two are from Domino:
